Tempting South Africans away from conventional powertrains hasn’t been an easy job, but it’s one Chinese brand GWM wants to take on with its latest offering.
Meet the new GWM Ora 03, a funky-styled electric hatch that looks like a mix of two automotive legends, the VW Beetle and Mini Cooper. It doesn’t cut it as a car for the mainstream market, mainly because it’s expensive, chic and left-field.
Prices start at R686,950 for the entry-level 300 Super Luxury and go all the way up to R835,950 for the 400 GT Ultra Luxury model. The range is competitively priced against other chic five-door, mid to high tier Mini Cooper variants and a few other fashionista crossovers such as the Toyota CH-R, Volvo CX-30 and the Chinese BYD Atto 3 — the latter the first fully electric Chinese car to be sold in South Africa.
The Ora 03 range is powered by a 126kW and 250Nm electric powertrain. The entry level Ora 300 model gets by with a 48kWh battery claimed to return a driving range of 310km. The trio of 400 models benefit from a larger 63kWh battery said to offer 410km of driving range. Charging from 0-80% is in 50 minutes and the company will also sell you a home charging wallbox if you want one.
I drove the 300 model from Kyalami to Hartbeespoort at the media launch earlier this week. The drive showed the car’s comfortable ride quality and when operated with an econo-minded style it returns an acceptable range.
In looks, the 400 GT Ultra Luxury is the closest thing we have to an electric hot hatch with a body kit, large boot spoiler, sporty style 18-inch alloy wheels and licks of red on the bumpers and brake covers.
It has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.9 seconds and the car showed a keenness around the Kyalami circuit with polished suspension that gave it poise through the twisty sections. The caboodle of safety systems on hand — including traction control and auto emergency braking — contributed to keeping the car planted.
The interior of the 4,235mm long car is a minimalist and digital haven, with high-quality dual-tone pseudo leather on the seats and chrome touch points. Wireless mobile device connectivity and charging and a panoramic roof are some of the possible niceties.
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